Become a Career or School Counselor

School counselors help evaluate students' abilities, interests and personalities to develop realistic academic and career goals. They use interviews, counseling sessions and aptitude assessment tests to evaluate and advise students. They also operate career information centers, career day events and career education programs. These counselors also work with younger students who have academic and social development problems or other special needs. Those who pursue a school counselor degree will assist them in finding special education programs, agencies or organizations who will help prepare them for a future career despite their disabilities.

Career counselors typically provide career advice outside the traditional school setting. Their primary focus is helping with career decisions. Career counselors explore and evaluate the client's education, work history, interests, skills and personality traits. They may arrange for aptitude and achievement tests to help assess the best career moves for a client. Career counselors work with individuals or groups to develop their job-search skills and résumés and assist clients in their job hunt. A big part of a career counselor's job is providing support and guidance to those experiencing job loss, job stress or other career transition issues.

School counselors assist children, teens and adults with academic, vocational and personal issues as well as providing support when students are considering and exploring career options. They focus on these broad areas of students' lives:

• Academic achievement
• Personal and social development
• Career planning

School counselors also work with academic boards to improve learning conditions. These are some of the areas of concern for school counselors:

• Developing school counseling programs
• Improving parent / teacher relationships
• Improving school atmosphere
• Legislative advocacy

Career counselors also help adults with work, skill and professional issues:

• Learning new skills
• Changing careers
• Re-entering the workforce
• Achieving higher education
• Advancing their current careers

All states require certification for school counselors, and some states require passing a counseling test for licensure as well. A master's in counseling followed by two years of practical experience is typically necessary for state licensure. Some states also require a teaching certificate. In addition to basic counseling coursework and a required internship, a candidate will have hands-on practicum in a classroom setting.

Career counselors need a master's degree, and licensure is generally granted after two years of supervised clinical experience beyond the master's degree level and a state-recognized examination may also be required. It is critical to check your state's licensure requirements because in some instances a career counselor working in private practice may need a license while a career counselor working for a college career center may not. Career counselors, like all counselors based outside of schools, should also complete ongoing annual education requirements.